Settle defamation case amicably: Court urges Dikshit, BJP leader

New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Thursday asked Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijendra Gupta to settle their dispute related to a defamation case out of court in an amicable and responsible manner.

Asking counsel of both the parties to sit together and solve the issue out of court, Justice Kailash Gambhir said: “Why don’t you settle the issue out of court”, adding that they should persuade their clients to resolve the issue by April 24.

Dikshit had filed a suit against Gupta after he refused to tender a “public apology” for setting up hoardings across the city accusing her government of “openly” looting thousands of crores of rupees by misrepresenting facts on power tariff and conniving with the private discoms.

The court’s direction came after Gupta’s counsel told the court that the action taken by his client was not intended to malign any individual but was directed against the government.

The petition filed by the chief minister had stated that the BJP, under the leadership of Gupta, “tried to defame her in public by putting up hoardings across the city accusing her government of corruption in fixing of new power tariff in connivance with the private power distribution companies.”

Dikshit had demanded a token Re.1 in the damage caused to her reputation by Gupta.

The advertisements which were put up in hoardings in June 2010 had claimed that the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) was going to recommend reduction in power tariff, but the chief minister “came in the way”.

Dikshit filed the suit after Gupta refused to tender a “public apology for the slander”, as demanded by her.